A GOOD JAPANESE SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX AND COVER)

A GOOD JAPANESE SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX AND COVER)
MEIJI ERA, 19TH CENTURY

Delicately decorated in gold and iroe hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, togidashi, kirikane and okibirame lacquer, the lid with a group of monkeys cavorting on a pine tree, signed Shisen and sealed lower left corner; the reverse of the cover embellished with an equally masterful design of a deer beneath a fruiting pomegranate tree, looking at a sparrow in flight above; with an inner tray, variously-shaped compartments, and an inkstone; the interior and base rendered in mura-nashiji; with a paper collection label reading 'Tomkinson Collection 573'; 21.8cm x 14.4cm x 4.5cm. (7)

Provenance: the Tomkinson Family Collection, first collected by Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921); purchased back by the Tomkinson Family from Christie's London, 13th November 1995, lot 481; a copy of the original invoice is available.

Exhibited: The Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1894.

Literature: listed and illustrated in M Tomkinson, A Japanese Collection Made by Michael Tomkinson, vol.II, p.40, no.573. Also, listed in the Burlington Fine Arts Club, 'Catalogue of specimens of Japanese Lacquer and Metal Work', p.95, no.22.